This invention relates generally to forward glide types of parachute canopies of the ram air type which are inflated to an airfoil shape, such as shown in prior U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,427 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,524,613, 3,724,789, and 4,015,801 which include an upper surface, a bottom surface and a series of ribs extending therebetween to divide the parachute into cells, and more particularly to construction of such parachute canopies.
Parachute canopies of the foregoing type have been made for many years from a minimum of five to seven elongated flexible panels sewn to each other along chordwise seams extending between leading and trailing edges of the canopy. The panels for each the bottom and top surfaces have been dimensioned in length substantially equal to the chordwise dimensions of the canopy and have been cut to an appropriate width so that the seams between panels will coincide with chordwise seams at which the ribs are connected to the airfoil surface portions. Such a constructional arrangement was heretofore deemed necessary by persons skilled in the art so as to form a canopy with optimum stress distribution under forces experienced by ram air inflated, gliding airfoil canopies.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a more efficient constructional arrangement for canopies of the aforementioned type whereby the amount of wasted material, the number of seams and material cutting operations may be reduced.